Bunduki and Dawn (A Bunduki Jungle Adventure Book 2) Read online

  Transported to the primitive planet of Zillikian by the mysterious ‘Suppliers’, Bunduki and his cousin, Dawn, found themselves fighting desperately for their lives as ferocious wild animals and equally dangerous human enemies stalked them through the undergrowth. And while Bunduki was being imprisoned by the Elders of the Jey-Mat Telonga village, the Mun-Gatah’s People-Taker abducted Dawn...

  Bunduki had to escape from the Elders and rescue her—a terrible test of his strength and skill. But as the adopted son of Lord Greystoke, who is otherwise known as Tarzan of the Apes, Bunduki had a better chance than most of surviving his horrific ordeal...

  BUNDUKI AND DAWN

  By J. T. Edson

  First Published by Transworld Publishers in 1976

  Copyright © 1976, 2016 by J. T. Edson

  First Smashwords Edition: January 2016

  Names, characters and incidents in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information or storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.

  Cover image © 2016 by Tony Masero

  This is a Piccadilly Publishing Book ~#~ Series Editor: Ben Bridges

  Text © Piccadilly Publishing

  Published by Arrangement with the Author’s Agent.

  Author’s Note

  I would once again like to extend my gratitude to Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc., for their kindness in allowing me to continue the adventures of Dawn Drummond-Clayton and Bunduki, adoptive great-granddaughter and adopted son of Lord Greystoke, Tarzan of the Apes. I also thank Philip Jose Farmer, whose biographical work TARZAN ALIVE, supplied much useful information and details of the Greystoke family’s lineage.

  Prologue

  James Allenvale Gunn—whose sobriquet ‘Bunduki’ was derived from the Swahili word which means a firearm of any kind—awoke in what, for him, was an unusual manner.

  Normally, due to having spent a considerable portion of his life in extremely primitive and frequently hazardous conditions, Bunduki came from the depths of sleep to full consciousness without any interim period of dull-witted somnolence. On this occasion, instead of making the transition in his customary fashion, he stirred restlessly for several seconds without opening his eyes. When the lids finally came apart, he gazed upwards without any real sense of comprehension.

  Gradually a thought began to creep into Bunduki’s sluggishly operating mind. Something was radically wrong. Considering the matter, although with none of the rapidity and clarity that was typical of him under normal circumstances, he realized what it was. While he was lying supine on what felt like a comfortable bed, his eyes were not focusing at the bamboo ceiling of the room in which he should have been sleeping. Instead, he was staring at a high and uneven stone roof.

  Despite the lethargic fashion in which Bunduki’s brain was functioning, he began to come to a conclusion. He was definitely no longer in the house that had been presented to him and his adoptive cousin—although he had practically ceased to regard Dawn Drummond-Clayton in that manner—by the people of the Jey-Mat Telonga village. As he considered the puzzling phenomenon, a growing sense of anger assailed him. He wondered if the mysterious ‘Suppliers’, who had brought Dawn and himself to Zillikian, had once more utilized their extraordinary powers of transportation and for some purpose of their own had placed him in what appeared to be a large cavern.

  Partially aroused from his slothful state by the thought, Bunduki swung his legs from the bed and thrust himself erect. His great size combined with the cold glare in his blue eyes and the grim expression on his tanned handsome face made him a savage, almost primevally menacing figure. He was clearly not a man to tamper with, or play tricks upon.

  Six foot three inches from his head of golden blond hair to the soles of his bare feet, Bunduki’s only garment was a leopard skin loincloth. It left little to be imagined about his magnificent physical development. He had a tremendous spread to his shoulders, with massive biceps and forearms to augment the strength they could put forth when it was needed. Bronzed by long exposure to the elements, his torso slimmed down to the waist and a flat stomach that was ridged by powerful cords of muscle. Below it, his legs were so perfectly formed and puissant that they could carry his two hundred and twenty pounds’ weight with effortless agility and speed. Due to the superlative quality, as well as the bulk and quantity of his muscles, there was nothing slow, clumsy, or awkward about him.

  Bunduki’s great size and enormous strength was hereditary. On his mother’s side, his great-grandfather had been Mark Counter; a Texan who in the mid-1800s attained fame as a cowhand, peace officer and all round fighting man. i Paternally, he was descended from an illegitimate son of Sir Henry Curtis, who had accompanied the great hunter, Allan Quatermain, on two epic journeys of exploration in Africa. ii

  There was, however, more than sheer physical prowess to Bunduki’s make-up. After, his parents had been murdered by Mau Mau terrorists, he had been adopted and raised by their friends, Lord and Lady Greystoke. In addition to his formal education, which had been thorough, he had received instructions in many practical matters and these had prepared him for the adventurous life that he had led. He had gained great competence in various styles of unarmed combat and in the use of several types of primitive weapons such as knives, swords, spears, tomahawks or the bow and arrow. From his adoptive father, the legendary Tarzan of the Apes, had come a knowledge of animals and wild country survival that was second to none.

  All in all, Bunduki’s upbringing had been ideal training for the conditions into which he and Dawn had been, almost literally, precipitated.

  Feeling his right foot come into contact with something other than the rough stone floor which the left sole and heel were touching, Bunduki glanced down instead of looking around. Remembering his discovery twenty-eight days earlier—when he had regained consciousness to find himself in the jungles of the planet Zillikian (although he had not known where he was at the time) instead of dead at the bottom of the Gambuti Gorge, iii—he was not exactly surprised to see his custom built, one hundred pounds’ draw-weight Fred Bear Super Kodiak hunting bow by the side of the bed. It was not strung, but its bow-quiver—holding eight buff-shafted fiberglass Micro-Flite arrows with Bear 4-Blade razorhead points—was attached to its right side. Alongside it was his back-quiver, carrying fourteen more arrows of the same variety. On the quiver lay the ventilated pigskin glove that shielded his right hand as he drew the bow, and the brown leather armguard which protected his left wrist from the whip-like slap of the weapon’s double loop braided black Dacron string.

  Lifting his gaze from the bow, the blond giant reached towards his left hip. His right hand encountered the concave ivory hilt of the Randall Model 12 ‘Smithsonian’ bowie knife which had been a birthday present from Lord and Lady Greystoke. It was in the sturdy sheath attached to the broad leather belt which encircled his lean waist. Modeled on the original weapon that had been made by the Arkansas’s blacksmith and master cutler, James Black, to specifications supplied by the legendary Jim Bowie, iv weighed forty-three ounces, had an overall length of sixteen and a half inches and was made from the finest Swedish high carbon tool steel. Eleven inches long, two and a quarter inches wide, with a thickness at the stock of three-eighths of an inch, the razor-sharp blade had a clip point v for greater fighting efficiency.

  ‘Just like the last time!’r />
  Even as the softly spoken sentiment was leaving Bunduki’s lips, he began to realize that there were differences between his present situation and that previous awakening in equally mysterious circumstances.

  On the earlier occasion, although the blond giant had been unable to understand the reason for his whereabouts, he had come from his sleep—or his unconscious state—in his normal way, swiftly and in complete possession of all his faculties. Although his garments had been changed to what he was now wearing, the bow had been strung ready for use. In addition, due to the ‘Suppliers’ having emptied his stomach and alimentary tract to prevent him from bringing harmful germs or bacteria to Zillikian, he had been very hungry. But now, standing by the bed, he had the well-filled feeling that one would have expected after having been a guest at a Telonga pre-marital feast.

  Recollecting one part of the festivities in particular drove all other considerations from Bunduki’s mind. Ignoring his weapons and the thoughts that the sight of them had stimulated, he started to look around for some clue as to his whereabouts.

  Turning his gaze towards the daylight which was streaming in at the mouth of the cave, the blond giant let out a furious exclamation and strode in that direction without continuing the examination of his surroundings. The entrance was square in shape and completely blocked by a massive wooden latticework door. Through the diamond-shaped openings, he could see a small clearing in what was obviously a fairly dense jungle.

  Gripping two of the thick, interwoven bars of wood, Bunduki gave a tentative push. Nothing happened. Even when he increased his pressure, the structure did not show any sign of moving. Obviously it was secured in some way. As he could not see what was holding it, he reached through the bars. After a while, his searching fingers located what appeared to be a keyhole. Not unexpectedly, there was no key in it. Nor, as he discovered when he looked, was there any means of unlocking it from the inside.

  Filled with grim forebodings and anxiety, the blond giant studied the door. He was impressed by its size and the way in which it had been constructed. Clearly it had been made and fitted into position by very sophisticated tools and methods. Certainly it was a structure beyond the productive capacity of such primitive cultures and societies as he had contacted during his short stay on Zillikian. The Mangani—who were similar creatures to those in Africa who had raised Bunduki’s adoptive father from a baby to young manhood following the deaths of the Sixth Lord Greystoke and his wife, vi had progressed to using simple branch spears and clubs as weapons but that was all. The Telongas and Mun-Gatahs were also incapable of such a high standard of workmanship. But the explanation could be in the hands of the mysterious ‘Suppliers’. Having delivered the various nations—along with numerous other species of endangered animal life—to Zillikian, the ‘Suppliers’ had satisfied primitive requirements in the matter of homes, tools, furnishings and weapons. There were a few artisans in the two human races vii capable of effecting simple repairs and maintenance to buildings, but none had the tools, knowledge or ability to construct such a door.

  However, the ‘Suppliers’ had used their powers to channel each nation’s thinking along lines which they considered necessary to ensure its survival. So it was possible that the door had been erected to fill a specific need for one of the races. What that need might be, Bunduki could not guess. Nor was he able to decide what part he had been brought to play in it.

  Looking around in the hope of locating another way out of the cave, or even seeing something to suggest a reason for his being there, Bunduki discovered that he was not alone. At-Vee and all the other Jey-Mat Telonga hunters—including Tav-Han, who had lived long enough to retire from active participation, and the six youngsters still serving their apprenticeship—were sleeping, each with his weapons on the floor beside him, on beds similar to Bunduki’s. A further look told him that not even the four who should have been standing guard at the closed gates of the village (following the procedure he had established) were excluded.

  Striding across the cave, Bunduki called first one and then the other hunters’ names. None of them stirred. Yet he knew them all to be light sleepers, easily aroused under normal circumstances.

  Coming to a halt by At-Vee’s bed, the blond giant looked down at him. Just over six feet in height, very muscular although he did not slim down at the waist as well as Bunduki, he was a powerfully built young man clad in a loincloth made from the hide of a jaguar. He had straight, shoulder long black hair, brown skin and pleasant features suggestive of a Polynesian, there was an even rise and fall to his broad chest as he breathed and he showed no sign of waking from his deep sleep.

  Running the fingers of his right hand through his hair, in an involuntary gesture that he always employed when perturbed or puzzled, Bunduki suddenly stiffened as if he had been stung. His head was now completely cleared of drowsiness, and a realization of what must have happened flooded through him.

  Clearly he and the hunters had been ‘put away’.

  ‘Put away!’

  That was the name given to the mysterious method by which the Elders of the various Telonga villages prevented the small proportion of hunters who lived with the otherwise slothful, self-indulgent, peace-loving members of each community from attempting to intervene during the twice-yearly collections of young maidens and men carried out by the Mun-Gatahs’ People-Taker.

  Having made a levy shortly before Dawn and Bunduki had arrived on Zillikian, the People-Taker should not have returned for at least another four moons. viii However, as the blond giant realized, there was a reason why he might have paid a premature visit. He might have come in search of the girl, Joar-Fane, who had escaped from his custody, or to punish the villagers and to warn them against making other attempts at escape in the future.

  Having been aware of such a possibility, Bunduki had arranged with the hunters to take precautions against it. He had been hampered by the strict cultural taboos which had prevented him from discovering what the putting away process entailed. None of the hunters, much less the Elders and ordinary villagers, had been willing to comment upon it. Dawn and he had felt sure that there would be time for them to become accepted as members of the community and admitted to its secrets before the Mun-Gatahs arrived to make the next collection. So, in deference to their hosts’ beliefs, they had not pressed the matter or demanded information.

  Thinking about the possible reason for the People-Taker’s unscheduled return, Bunduki looked around in search of his adoptive cousin. If he was correct in his assumption, she ought to have been ‘put away’ with himself and the other men. The Elders were aware that she was fully as capable of resisting the collection as any of the hunters. So his concern was increased rather than diminished when he discovered that Dawn was not present.

  That the girl should have been afforded different treatment to the blond giant and the hunters raised sinister implications and was a cause of grave consternation as far as he was concerned. Shortly after her arrival on Zillikian, Dawn had fallen into the Mun-Gatahs’ hands. Before she had escaped, their High Priest had shown great interest in her weapons—the modern materials and superb workmanship were far superior to anything his nation possessed—and how they had been procured. If Dryaka had learned that she was living in the Jey-Mat Telonga village (although Bunduki was unable to imagine how he might have gained the information) he could have given orders that she was to be collected and delivered to him.

  ‘At-Vee!’ the blond giant shouted, gripping the hunter by the shoulders and shaking him. ‘Wake up! Joar-Fane and Dawn are in danger!’

  For all the good he did, Bunduki might as well have saved his breath. There was no change in the regular movements of At-Vee’s chest, nor did he show any sign of rousing from his slumber. Lowering him back to the bed, the blond giant returned to the door.

  Although Dawn and Bunduki had respected the Telongas’ reticence and had made no attempt to verify their conclusions, they had discussed how the putting away ix might be carried ou
t. They had known that the ‘Suppliers’ had originated the idea of the collections in the minds of the Mun-Gatahs and the Telongas for the purpose of controlling the numbers of the latter nation. Certain incidents had led them to assume that the ‘putting away’ served a dual purpose. In addition to avoiding bloodshed during the visits, it prevented the People-Taker from learning of and removing the hunters who alone possessed weapons and served the essential purpose of protecting the otherwise defenseless villagers from the depredations of dangerous animals.

  The blond giant and his adoptive cousin had made other deductions about the visits. On learning that the People-Taker was coming, in some way which they could not work out, the Elders drugged and concealed-the hunters somewhere until after the selection was over and he had departed.

  From all appearances, Bunduki and Dawn had guessed correctly. However, for some reason—possibly because the repeated dosing had made the hunters more receptive to the drug’s effects—he had recovered before them. There was no way of knowing how much longer they would remain unconscious. So the blond giant realized that any immediate attempt to escape would have to be made without them. Accepting the situation, he turned his attention to finding a way of leaving.

  There did not appear to be any way in which Bunduki could get out!

  The walls of the cave were solid rock without so much as a crack that might offer a chance of escape.

  Massive and firm, the latticework door fitted exactly in to the entrance. There was no gap above or below, nor space between the struts large enough for him to crawl through. He could get at neither the hinges nor the lock as a means of effecting his departure. Even if the other men had been conscious, it was unlikely that their combined strength would be sufficient to break down the mighty structure. Cutting apart the thick, interlaced timbers with their knives and spears would be extremely difficult and time consuming. It might even prove impossible.